The Mandel School has over 50 endowed scholarships that support MSW and MNO students through the generosity of our alumni and friends. These scholarships are awarded based on leadership experience, community involvement, academic history, experience overcoming adversity, and commitment to social justice and social work practice. Below is a partial list of our endowed awards with a brief summary highlighting the intentions of the donor.
Adell E. & Edward H. Newby Scholarship
The Newbys established the Adell E. and Edward H. Newby Scholarship Fund in 1998 for students who show exemplary spirit and dedication in providing necessary support for their communities and surroundings. The Newbys have always been great friends of the Mandel School and in her dedication to the fund, Adell stated that she wanted to give in Edward’s spirit of “being credited for making differences in our lives” so that students would have a similar opportunity. In remembrance, Bill and Barbara Newby maintain the connection between the Newby family and the Mandel School through this scholarship.
Art and Amy Lifson Scholarship
Art attended the MSSA program in 1969 and spent the majority of his life by the side of Amy, donating time and service towards worthy causes. The Art and Amy Lifson Endowment Fund was created in 2006 for students needing financial support in their pursuit of a graduate degree. In the endowment’s dedication, Art lauded the Mandel School and the ability to give back to others pursuing their own service goals in the applied social sciences.
Arthur J. Naparstek Scholarship Fund
Generous donations were given from several donors including the Mandel Supporting Foundations, Robert Goldberg and family, and several donors associated with the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, for the purpose of establishing the Arthur J. Naparstek Scholarship Fund to honor the high ideals and standards exemplified by Dr. Naparstek and to benefit the Mandel Center's Master of Nonprofit Organizations. The Arthur J. Naparstek Scholarship Fund was established to provide scholarship support for highly talented students with first preference (to the extent permitted by law) given to a student from the State of Israel and enrolled in the non-profit programs at The Mandel School.
Dorothy Kimmel Scholarship
Robert and Dorothy Kimmel both believed deeply in the values and mission of the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Robert and Dorothy started the scholarship fund in 1998 with hopes of increasing the amount of change agents in the social sciences.
Eleanor R Gerson Scholarship
The Eleanor R. Gerson Fund was created in 2002. Because of Eleanor’s giving spirit and dedication to giving back to her roots, the Mandel School has had the fortunate privilege of awarding several students the opportunity to thrive in their pursuit of their academic goals. Eleanor’s story of pursuit of higher education and numerous charitable giving via both time and financial support is both inspiring and heartwarming.
Frank J. & Catherine B. Hertel Scholarship
Frank J Hertel was inducted into the Mandel School Hall of Achievement, founded upon the school’s Centennial to recognize the accomplishments of outstanding alumni, faculty, partners and friends who greatly impacted the school and the fields of social work or nonprofit management for the past 100 years. These individuals have received school awards, major Case Western Reserve University acknowledgments or top industry honors.
Harold C. Schott Scholarship
Sustained by annual gifts from the Schott Fund, the scholarship has, since 2007, assisted students enrolled in a graduate-level social work program offered at the Mandel School. In addition to meeting stringent academic requirements, students selected must be enrolled in the Aging Concentration at the Mandel School for Applied Social Sciences.
Helen and Jerry Daube Scholarship
Helen and Jerry Daube were dedicated to both the social sciences in giving to the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and in their love of thoroughbred horse racing. Helen was lauded as one of the oldest horse racing fans in the world and dedicated a lot of her free time to assisting the horse racing industry and alongside Jerry gave back to her community via financial support.
Henry and Audrey Schumacher Scholarship
The Henry and Audrey Schumacher Scholarship Fund was established in 2003 with the intention of benefiting the educational careers of students pursuing degrees in the applied social sciences.
Herbert B. Luria Scholarship
Herbert Luria was a successful entrepreneur and had a fond love for the applied social sciences. Hermine Luria, Herbert’s faithful partner, was a 1924 graduate of the Flora Stone Mather school on Case Western Reserve’s campus. Hermine had given in her husband’s spirit since his passing and had given to Case Western Reserve University since before 1975.
John A. Yankey Scholarship
Sustained by annual gifts from the Yankey Fund, the scholarship has, since 2006, assisted students enrolled in a graduate-level social work program offered at the Mandel School. In addition to students in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, students enrolled in the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations are also eligible for the scholarship. The preferred recipient of this merit-based scholarship is an individual who has a minimum of three years of work and/or volunteer experience in a nonprofit organization, is committed to a career in the nonprofit sector, and holds considerable promise of assuming a leadership role in the nonprofit sector as their career develops.
Lenore A. Kola Endowment Fund
The Lenore A. Kola Scholarship Endowment Fund was established in 2014 to provide scholarship financial aid for students enrolled in the Jack Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, with preference given to students studying addiction, dual disorders, and mental health. The work that Dr. Kola accomplished in her 45 years at the Mandel School is extraordinary. The establishment of the scholarship fund continues to inspire its recipients to carry on her legacy of local and global impact in transformational social work and nonprofit leadership.
Mary Annette Soderberg Scholarship
Mary Soderberg and the rest of the Soderberg family sought to enrich the lives of future generations of social workers when they created the Mary Annette Soderberg Scholarship Fund in 1989. Mary was a graduate of the School of Applied Social Sciences in 1954 and created lasting memories in her work with marginalized communities.
Maurice & Nina Fields Scholarship
Established in 1993, the Maurice & Nina Fields scholarship was dedicated by Maurice and Nina as a way of giving back to the educational establishment that allowed the two to thrive in their professional careers. Nina is a 1956 alumnus of the School of Applied Social Sciences.
Melcher & Walker Memorial Fund
Ruth and Alfred Melcher alongside Mildred Walker have given bountifully to the Mandel School community and the social work profession in their scholarship foundation as well as professional accolades. The Ruth and Alfred Melcher and Mildred Walker Memorial Fund was created in 1989 to afford students the opportunity of being financially able to attend the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
Mildred S. Higley Scholarship
Sustained by annual gifts from the Higley Fund, the scholarship has, since 1995, assisted students enrolled in a graduate-level social work program offered at the Mandel School. In addition to meeting stringent academic requirements, students selected must demonstrate the personal qualities which Mrs. Higley embodied – and which are considered essential for the professional practice of social work: strong moral character; strong analytical and communications skills; a caring and compassionate nature; and a personal commitment to social justice, empowering individuals, and serving vulnerable and underrepresented groups.
Nancy Lyon Porter Scholarship in Community Development
Nancy Lyon Porter was a career volunteer and tireless advocate for children, families and the elderly. She worked with the Junior League of Cleveland, Family Service Association of Cleveland, and countless other social service organizations. She helped found the Center for Human Services and was voted life trustee of the Center, which is now called the Center for Families and Children. She was involved with the Federation for Community Planning, United Way Services, the Cuyahoga County Welfare Dept. and Children's Services Dept., Hudson Boys School Advisory Board, the Juvenile Court Advisory Board, the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences.
Papo Family Memorial Scholarship
Beatrice and Joseph Papo created the Papo Family Memorial Scholarship Fund in 1994 as a way of giving to the Cleveland community and promoting the social sciences as they saw fit. The two were fond of the Mandel School and its ability to foster the growth of so many social work professionals in their studies at the school.
Professor Ruth M. Werner Scholarship
Ruth Werner was a faculty member of the School of Applied Social Sciences for over 20 years and left a lasting legacy for professors and students to come to the Mandel School. The scholarship was established in 2006 by Jane Werner Watson in Ruth’s name.
Steven A. and Dolly Minter Scholarship
Steven Minter was the first African American to lead the Cleveland Foundation, the Cuyahoga County Welfare Department, Massachusetts’ public welfare commission and what’s now the American Public Human Services Association. He was also the founding undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education. He earned a master’s degree in social work from Case Western Reserve University and several honorary doctorates.
William Brewster McKenna Scholarship
William McKenna graduated from the School of Applied Social Sciences in 1937 and provided necessary support to his community and to future generations in his leadership and mentorship of younger generations of social workers. The William Brewster McKenna Scholarship Fund was established in 1978 and has benefited the academic and professional careers of many social work students over the last 42 years.